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B1G Game 17: Minnesota visits Rutgers (2-28-19)

How Many Shoes Can Drop?

Normally I'd wait until after tonight’s game for the game thread; but Rutgers is spewing comment intensive debris today.

Following Rutger’s (10-5) second half collapse and loss to Minnesota (8-8) at Williams Arena, Rutgers is 1-3 with Wisconsin visiting Piscataway on Monday night. Wait! there’s more lost than just games: in the past week, two players have been dismissed (Caitlin Jenkins and Ciani Cryor), a transfer player’s past arrests (Alexis Morris) have been reported and Hall of Famer, C Vivian Stringer, took a leave of absence. The remainder of the Scarlet Knights will be coached by interim head coach Tim Eatman. This is the second time in three years that Minnesota has faced Rutgers without Stringer on the side lines. In February 2017, following the death of her mother, Stringer missed the Rutgers/Minnesota contest in Minneapolis. It was a 80-46 Gopher win.

This season’s Gopher win at Williams Arena against then first place Rutgers was crazy. First, the Scarlet Knight’s Caitlin Jenkins was suspended and did not make the trip to Minneapolis. Then, after committing 14 first half turnovers, Minnesota trailed 17-23 at the half. But a Gophers 22-10 third quarter burst put the Maroon and Gold ahead for good salvaging a 60-46 victory. It was the second win in what became a six game Minnesota winning streak. Stasha Carey was the only Scarlet Knight in double figures with 16 points. For Minnesota, Bell scored 19, Pitts (14 points and 7 rebounds), Brunson (13 points) and Taiye Bello (11 points and 21 rebounds).

Rutgers is limping to the finish; but, the Scarlet Knights did considerable damage early in the season getting a win at Maryland, defeating Michigan State at the RAC and sweeping Indiana. With three games remaining (Wisconsin, Minnesota and at Ohio State) Rutgers still looks NCAA bound. However, Senior Night in Piscataway should be an interesting experience for Minnesota not to mention Rutgers.

If Wisconsin can knock off Rutgers tonight, that could be potentially huge for Minnesota Big Ten tournament seedings, as I tried to demonstrate in the Other Big Ten games thread. I’ll be cheering for the Badgers a lot this week.

Well, sometimes "you reap what you sow". In other words, they're recruiting players/transfers who have behavior risks...and now they are paying the price. Most other BIG programs not taking the risks that Rutgers has been taking with the players they're signing.

Is it possible that CVS had to resort to grad transfers given her age and health? I can see where a transfer only needs to be concerned who the coach is for one year vs. an incoming top recruited freshman committing to 4 years to a coach who may not be there long (71+4=75). And I also suspect that other coaches recruiting against Rutgers could hint at such a potential outcome (really though, would any Division 1 coach stoop that low?).

Rutgers defeated Wisconsin 73-53. Pelc replaced Cryor in the starting lineup. Wisconsin is really bad. Rutger's press put the game away early. The Badgers had 24 turnovers mostly caused by the press. The Scarlet Knight's had 20 turnovers mostly caused by sloppiness. Eatman, filling in for Stringer, spread out the playing time. Only two Rutgers players played 26 minutes. In case I haven't said this before, the Badgers are really bad.

Rutgers defeated Wisconsin 73-53. Pelc replaced Cryor in the starting lineup. Wisconsin is really bad. Rutger's press put the game away early. The Badgers had 24 turnovers mostly caused by the press. The Scarlet Knight's had 20 turnovers mostly caused by sloppiness. Eatman, filling in for Stringer, spread out the playing time. Only two Rutgers players played 26 minutes. In case I haven't said this before, the Badgers are really bad.

...and, yet, the Badgers killed the can't-win-outside-Breslin Spartans in Madison. The Gophers should win both of these next two.